Messages

If you had to appoint the referee for  Championship Semi -Final .. would you select a referee from a club , who are in the other semi final ... just asking ?

what makes u ask?

Why would that be an issue? Just asking

Possible conflict of interest for appointed referee.   Maybe not impartial enough .... just saying ...

Still don't get it, conflict of interest? Is he refereeing his own club?

There u go MR2.....

Conflict of interest.....

A situation in which a person is in a position to derive personal benefit from actions or 'decisions' made in their 'official capacity'

that help...?

CB, you're talking complete bollocks, only in your wee narrow mind... 

I think he is joking...

Yes, joking unfortunately. The future of Casement is in abeyance pending the outcome of appeal against incinerator judgement.

Antrim will be playing in the new Davitts Stadium for the next few years.   

ps. MR2 and Spike, if you guys are going to keep going at each other, get your own thread... 

Unfettered canvassing! If that's pointed in my direction I need to emphasise once again, I'm totally neutral. I don't represent anybody but my own views. I'm not on the board, don't want to be on a board, never will be on the board. That's a promise.

But what I do represent is ONE opinion that we have by far the best ever "county management committee" that I have seen in over 30 years....speaking as an Antrim gael hoping that our generation can make some meaningful difference.

Just a few years ago things looked depressingly bleak. Half a dozen men got together and said let's do something about this. After two years I am extremely encouraged  with their progress and confident that if they can hang around for another few years Antrim will find itself finally in a strong position.

Most of the work going on is quiet and behind the scenes, but being done in a professional manner with the mutual respect of Ulster and Croke Park officialdom. Why would anyone even think about jeopardising this? Anything else would be like a turkey voting for Christmas.

The states voted for Trump.
We voted for Brexit.

I stand corrected on that scoreline. On the issue of payment, havent a clue who is getting what. What clubs haven't paid anyone to date. There can't be many left that haven't offered at some stage.

If a club makes a generous offer to reimburse you for your services, should you turn it down? Would you?

You're not allowed, simple.
Easy thing to fudge it when coin is involved.

All the big clubs in Antrim could go to Armagh today to see how to do Ulster... comprehensively

What about the £1.5million funding secured for coaching in Belfast which will free up additional coaches for SW and N.A. too. Or the new relationship with Casement Park social club which has raised over £60k in the last two years.

Anyone impressed with that? I definitely am!

Well that £1.5 mil is certainly a tribute to the endeavours of Dr Young in particular and certainly the SW and North will welcome any crumbs.
As for the Social Club....well our own in Cargin always provides without query or question.....

But the question posed is ....."the rights or otherwise of a newspaper or a scribe therein to tell, or even suggest a way forward for a body which they have always shunned or kept at arm's length"...?

Wow, you are a crier...
They report little on us, you moan, they report with an interesting enough article, you're crying. Like a baby. You'd ruin'd love when it is built anew...

Change is good, this is progress, why knock it - you need some vision man...
I must have a look at the back pages in the newsletter and sentinel to see progress

As regards rights, it is now a free country, maybe not state just yet, all of them should be encouraged to write about the gaa, in a positive way.

Ps. all publicity is good publicity, and free
Pss. misery makes sport to mock itself

Interesting piece in the Irish News on Lenny's plans and squad for the season. Worth reading.

go Lenny...

The rest of you negativity posters; quiet. I'm tired 

P.s.
Bottle it till end February.

u21b game between ourselves and Portglenone has been moved to next tuesday night over in Portglenone at 8pm. we have the Ulster minor hurling semi final on sat plus our gala dinner sat night so fair dues to them for moving it.

Doesnt matter that its in their ground at all, only a few more mile away from rasharkin.

Bit of common sense..

Bottle it now, it will be needed again...  soon

Ps. Wonder can it be cultured ? 

Is it true the U21 championship had to be redrawn after 2 teams were left out of the initial draw?

Pretty incompetent if that's the case.

If you don't pay the fee, you're not in the race... maybe 

PS not knowing the 'facts', isn't 'incompetent' not pretty strong, even for an anonymous poster, but hey, what the hell, you can change your warrior name.
The volunteers can't.

PSS thought for everyone; did you assist with any draws, is your shoulder on these wheels ?

Well, the SW is in turmoil at the minute.

No representative in Senior final, no SW County manager, possibly no SW County players. 

As Princess Leah, from just outside Toome once said to Obi Wan, "Come in Aghagallon minors, you're our only hope."

Of the 4 champo finals this weekend, 4 teams are SW/NA, 4 are city
All the finals are in the SW
County manager lives in SW
Several county players are from the SW

Aghagallon is closer to Down than Armagh

PS antrim gaa is in turmoil

Jeez...this is a new record of some kind. Lenny has been in post less than a full day and already some people - Antrim supporters apparently - are prepared to write off his tenure as a failure. He deserves the support of us all, and all our clubs as he tried to turn around our fortunes. Best wishes to him and whatever backroom team he brings on board.

Well said.
Unfortunately Lenny will not get the support of all, many of the posters already would fit into a supporter category filed under N. 

I would like to think there will be a suitable setup for the squad - fit for purpose, no luxuries needed.
I'm happy to wait and see the full lineup once they have it organised, what's the rush ?

Ps fair play to frank and gearoid, men with integrity, had their shoulder to the wheel, will be an asset to any squad they join.

Replay now fixed for Glenavy on Sunday at 4pm. Thought under lights during midweek would have been the better option myself but Glenavy is a good venue all the same

Ahoghill is too close to Toome.....reason enough 

SW lads complaining about SW venues, sure flipping Lamhs is like a SW venue for flip sake!!

Glenavy venue must be to make up for last years pulled match... It's got very good turf, parking is not great, but is about halfway...

PS sure you have to leave the street lights to get to hannahstown, so it can't be a city club then

Pss can't believe the johnnies men aren't up in arms, they were very, very unlucky.

Big performance then.
Great to see

Now hope mR2 gets a big game 

The question remains - why do we need 3 divisional boards and and all county (i.e. 4 separate) organisations managing and running fixtures? We don't one central structure to manage and organise is more than sufficient.  Having a central management structure does not prohibit the playing of fixtures on a regional (aka divisional basis) at certain times of the year (dark nights when travelling can cause issues with getting fixtures played).

I'm not saying this will cure the issues with FTF and the level of apathy within Belfast, but fixing the problems require solving many interlocking issues. 

I agree with many previous posters it all starts (and in the case of Belfast, ends) in the schools.

I think that we do need 3 divisional boards, because we have 3 unique areas that have different unique concerns to manage. In effect we have: 1 Rural Hurling Board, 1 Rural Football Board, 1 Urban dual sport Board
The issue is with standard approaches on how to govern, run initiatives and leagues so that each board is consistent on the service that they provide.

A little historical example of the problems we face. When I was with the county minors many moons ago, the minor management changed the days that we were to train as it didn't suit the city clubs. The new proposal didn't suit the SW clubs. How hard would it have be to have the two boards agree on which days of the week certain age groups play, but they never talked to each other. This may be an insignificant issue, but it does highlight how disjoined we were as a county.

I heard this topic before !


The question is not the 'need' for divisional boards – but whether they work better than a single central organisation.
The answer is well proven; small teams working on small tasks, managed by competent committees with local management, who in turn share experiences and work objectives at central level for consistency, with one boss making sure things are operating properly, usually along with a secretary. The job of the boss is to make sure the remit of the stakeholders is carried out.
The fact that most involved in the teams are volunteers immediately dictate the sensible number of hierarchy levels in the organisation.

I would understand that Antrim has a divisional board that manages hurling along with a little football, one that manages football with a little hurling, and one that manages both, so all 3 are doing the same tasks. If they are not operating effectively and efficiently, then the management should be sorting the interlocking out.

It would be useful to have 'Personal Rating' survey carried out on the aforementioned volunteers, I would say most of the quiet not so well known ones would score sky high, and a lot of the noisy ones could learn a lot on how to improve their performance from the statistics.

It always seems to be the belfast gaels that want 'someone' to fix the problems in Antrim...
Still waiting for 'someone' to come up from croke.

PS I agree schools are the place to start, but who assumes the responsibility; the divisional boards, the county board, the boss, ulster, or will we wait for the 'someone' from Croke ?

Thanks. That's a bad rule though. Rewards the foul.

It's a rule that's used just fine in nearly every other field sport.

Foul Subsequent to Advantage Award
A - If, during the advantage period, another foul is committed against the team which received the original advantage, then a
free kick/puck will be awarded for the "second" foul if it is considered more advantageous than the original.
B - If, during the advantage period, a foul is committed by a player of the team which was originally fouled then the advantage
is cancelled and a free kick/puck awarded for the "second" foul.

But the best team on the day won, they scored the most points regardless of the many decisions made during the match, by all on the pitch.